I wonder often how anyone could have coined the phrase

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me

when we’ve all been at the hurtful end of prejudicial words that cut deep, and sometimes leave wounds that last longer than a bruise. Especially when I have also seen words inspire and start movements. And, for me, there has been nothing more powerful than the first time I said my son’s name allowed to him moments after his birth. That kind of power is staggering…humbling.

I believe in words and the roots of words. I was the kid who looked forward to that section of the SATs where I had to match a word to its meaning by dissecting its Latin root and hoping I got it right. Maybe if I’d actually ever truly prepared for those tests, I would have even done well at… [Read More]

Texas Bluebonnets | statesymbolsusa.org

How do you keep up with social and technology? Do you spend hours trolling through websites only to hear the same URLs being called out all the time? It’s not easy to keep up with new tech companies, especially since they are popping up faster than the bluebonnets in Texas. So how do you find out what’s out there and what’s not? Here are my top 10 Favorite places on the web to find out about new technology:

1. Mashable.com
2. Social Media Today
3. Inc. Magazine
4. TechCrunch
5. Digital Media Buzz
6. Entrepreneur
7. Wired
8. Social Media Examiner
9. CrunchBase
10. The Social on CNET News

I also set up Google Alerts for “social media” and “social applications” to troll the web for news, as well as keep tabs on the Wiki page for social networking websites and applications. Here’s… [Read More]

Sounds like I’m asking you to say something profound like “My child’s laughter” or “Kittens,” but what I’m really asking is, what does it or will it take to get you to write? Do you need a cheerleader? Theme music? A deadline? Time?

If you are looking for the “write” motivation, sometimes you need a mentor — someone who’s been through writer’s block, who’s done time looking for agents and publishers, someone who knows the joys of being a published author, someone who also enjoys sharing that journey in a one-on-one educational environment.

There are amazing folks on Twitter, like @Wordstrumpet, @RabbiRami, @AveryOslo, @PlanetAlvina, @NathanBransford, @Copyblogger, @thecreativepenn. However, before this becomes a #FollowFriday post, my point is that even though al lof these amazing writers and agents can be found giving… [Read More]

Fellow Social Deviant, Taylor Vick, and I met with a business associate, Celeste Rains of Flying Otter Marketing, at local hot spot The Patterson House, Nashville’s answer to the mixology rage sweeping the nation. It is a dimly-lit and not very air conditioned lounge in a historic house where drinks cost between $10 and $15 a pop, but which create a flavor explosion in your mouth proving that chemistry and alcohol DO mix.

Trying hard to sip, not gulp, our concoctions (to stretch the flava AND the dolla), Celeste brought up a good observation about new clients. Sometimes people assume that because you do one part of the industry that you also do another — like assuming that because you work in social media, that you also know graphic design or how to build a web site. That would be like asking a plumber to… [Read More]

One of the hardest things we are all faced with in the digital age is the eternal “contact me here” plight. How many appointments or leads have you missed because you were contacted the wrong way at the wrong time?  This quote from the movie “He’s Just Not That Into You” sums up my frustration with the digital age:

“I had this guy leave me a voicemail at work, so I called him at home, and then he emailed me to my BlackBerry, and so I texted to his cell, and now you just have to go around checking all these different portals just to get rejected by seven different technologies. It’s exhausting.”

How do we fix it?

There are a couple of ways to do it. The easiest way to do it is to simply tell all your contacts how you want to be contacted. For example,… [Read More]